LAHORE: Accusing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of showing biased attitude against him, former Test captain Salim Malik on Saturday said if the PCB accepts the recommendations of the Justice Qayyum’s Report on match-fixing, why several penalised cricketers are still being employed by the board.
“If both the PCB and the ICC approve the Justice Qayyum’s Report on match-fixing, then why all penalised cricketers are not out of the PCB,” questioned Malik in an interview with Dawn on Saturday. “Why is there a pick and choose policy in the PCB since 2001 when the report has been made public.
“Big players like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and many others were also penalised by retired Justice Qayyum, but they all have been associated with the PCB in some or the other capacity and are enjoying perks without any objection from the ICC or the PCB,” asked Malik who was banned for life following Justice Qayyum’s Report.
“On the other hand, I have been cleared by the court of the law from all allegations many years back, but the PCB has so far refused to give me any role by citing the reason that ICC will raise objection to my appointment,” the former Test captain remarked.
Taking a swipe at the game’s world governing body, Malik said he has suffered dearly and have been isolated due to ICC’s dual policies at the top level. “I want to ask the ICC about its stand on me. I have been cleared of fixing charges but why am I still facing isolation from cricket fraternity,” said Malik.
“It is also glaring as to why the PCB has allowed tainted fast bowler Mohammad Amir to stage a comeback in international cricket after his involvement in spot-fixing scandal while fellow cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are getting different treatment from the same Board,” he questioned.
“Look, I am not asking for any job in the PCB but just want to say that the Board should give equal treatment to all,” Malik said and reminded the Board that “Justice Qayyum had also recommended many other things to the PCB including the establishment of a permanent department to keep a constant check on the players’ assets.
“But the PCB is yet to take a single step towards setting up of any such department in the light of the Justice Qayyum Report due to which it has failed in eradicating the menace of corruption in Pakistan cricket,” argued the former Test batsman.
Expounding on the litigation he had been involved in for years, Malik said that he fought his case in the Supreme Court which later ordered the transfer of case to a civil court with the instruction to announce the verdict in three-month time by holding day-to-day hearing.
“The court has cleared me from all allegations and as a Pakistani I have all rights to serve the country’s cricket, but the PCB is not ready to give me the same respect which it has been giving to Wasim, Waqar, Inzamam, Mushtaq and many others,” Malik lamented.
On the other hand, a key official of the PCB said on condition of anonymity that the Board was apparently neutral with regard to the former batsman after his acquittal in the match-fixing case.
The same official while acknowledging Malik’s stance said that a detailed meeting had recently been held in this regard with Malik.
It may be mentioned here that former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt appointed Malik at the National Cricket Academy in 2010 but he had to withdraw the order after the electronic media made scathing criticism of the former captain’s job.
Answering another question regarding his ban, Malik confirmed that he had received a message then from certain quarters that if he would pay Rs1 million he could escape punishment.
Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2017
